


Right Again

by OrangeChickenPillow



Category: CrankGameplays - Fandom, Unus Annus - Fandom, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Hugs, Mark Fischbach & Ethan Nestor - Freeform, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Soulmates, Quarantine, Touch-Starved, Touching, but once again not really because its platonic, crankiplier - Freeform, post quarantine, the infamous 'don't touch me'
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:34:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27386524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrangeChickenPillow/pseuds/OrangeChickenPillow
Summary: It was no secret that Mark didn’t like to be touched. He practically shouted it from the rooftops during the initial filming of Unus Annus, repeatedly telling Ethan not to touch him. But it hadn’t always been like that.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 118





	Right Again

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> I feel like I should just give a general, "this is not canon or meant to be taken as a realistic representation/reflection of Mark and Ethan, or their relationship, please be kind and respectful so we can make sure the real people this fic is based off stay comfortable." 
> 
> Ok, now that that's out of the way, hope you enjoy! This was really fun to write, and I've put a lot of my own personal thoughts and experiences into it.  
> Stay safe everyone <3
> 
> P.s. I definitely do not intend to call out anyone who comments/has commented on Mark and Ethan's relationship, calling it cute or sweet or anything -- I'm one of those people too lol, so don't take it the wrong way :)

It was no secret that Mark didn’t like to be touched. He practically shouted it from the rooftops during the initial filming of Unus Annus, repeatedly telling Ethan not to touch him. But it hadn’t always been like that. When Ethan had first moved to L.A. to be his editor, Mark didn’t mind the physical contact. The boy wasn’t overly touchy or anything, but still liked to have a good amount of physical contact with his friends. Mark could understand that -- he could even agree with it. 

The thing is, Mark didn’t mind physical contact as much as he’d accidentally led people to believe. Sure, there were times when he didn’t want people touching him, but as long as he was the one in control -- as long as he said it was okay -- he didn’t mind it and, though his pride wouldn’t let him admit it, he actually wanted it. 

But why was it so hard for him to admit the simple fact that sometimes he actually wanted physicality? If anyone asked, he was prepared to shrug it off with the idea that he didn't know -- that he couldn't remember when it started. But he could. 

Mark hadn't been touchy with all of his friends, only certain ones. Amy, obviously, belonged to the latter group. Tyler on the other hand was someone who, like Mark, didn’t feel the need to touch too often. But then there was Ethan. Ethan was different -- he liked touch, he craved it. Ethan wanted to make physical contact with his friends, even if it was just roughhousing like kids or brushing arms; simple things like that. And Ethan was so unbelievably not weird about it. Touch became so simple around Ethan that Mark found himself doing it more often. Ethan made Mark relaxed, and Mark felt like he could brush the boy’s arm, or playfully touch his leg without it being a big deal. And it hadn't been a big deal -- at first. 

It had allowed Mark to discover that he actually really liked it. He liked the little moments of physical contact; the ones that weren’t lingering or inherently intimate, which made them feel so special in the first place. They were playful, and sometimes joking, and they felt good. 

But coming from him, it was different, and it didn’t take people long to notice. People made comments, and those comments made him uncomfortable. He knew they weren’t meant to, and they shouldn't, but for some reason they did. Comments about how sweet it was, or how adorable -- things like that just made him feel strange. Not because of what they said, but because they drew attention to something that he hadn’t really noticed he was doing. Something he had thought wasn’t a big deal. 

But maybe it was? So he put an end to the little touches. He made a joke out of his apprehension of being touched, and things seemed to go away for a while. But then the little touches hardly ever came. Sure, Ethan still poked at him for the sake of the bit, but Mark found himself missing the way things used to be. 

Now he felt like he couldn’t touch anyone without people making a big deal out of it. Or maybe it was just him who was making it a big deal. Either way, it had the same effect: Mark felt trapped inside iron walls, and he was left wondering how he’d gotten himself so barricaded. 

He hated that he felt as if he couldn’t simply lay a hand on a friend's shoulder without it coming as a surprise, since it was coming from him. He wished he'd never started rejecting touches, and sometimes he was almost mad that the people around him stopped offering them. But what else could they do, when he had so clearly told them not to? They were being good friends and respecting his boundaries. But what could he do, now that he regretted those boundaries being made in the first place?

He must have made a unconscious effort to try and reverse the effects of what he’d done, because as Unus Annus progressed, he realized he was slipping touches in here and there. For starters, he told Ethan to “stop touching me” far less often, and now he made it as obvious as possible that it was simply for a gag. He found himself feeling less awkward when he and Ethan touched accidentally, and allowed himself to be okay with it. He was working things out, and they were taking a turn for the better. 

Then quarantine hit, and no one was touching anyone. Mark and Ethan had to make the decision to stay away from each other, instead having to film videos through facetime. It was weird for both of them. Now, Mark actually felt a longing for physical contact. He wondered if this was how Ethan always felt, and his heart ached at the idea of his friend, and people similar to him, who were probably feeling worse in quarantine than Mark could ever imagine. 

It seemed to last forever. By the time Ethan and Mark felt like it was okay to meet in person again, after being cleared for COVID of course, Mark was so ready to see his friend. 

When they went to get their tests, Mark was irrationally terrified that one of them would come back with a positive result. They had been isolating, washing their hands, doing everything right, but still; he had gotten so excited at the idea of seeing his friend again that he really didn’t want to have to put it off. But he knew that if any of them came back positive, there was no way they’d be able to get together. 

Mark and Amy went to get tested right away. Ethan didn’t get a chance until a week later. 

Mark and Amy both tested negative. That was a relief -- now they only had to wait for Ethan to be cleared. And wait they did. The eight days longer it took for Ethan to get his test back felt like half a century. Mark could feel the time dragging on slowly, and it made him restless. Ethan, too, felt impatient to get his results so they could finally get filming again. 

When Mark’s phone dinged one evening, he stopped the video he was filming mid-game to read the message. 

Ethan: Tested negative!!! 

Mark felt his heart rate increase with excitement. He took a few breaths to level himself out before responding. 

Mark: Awesome dude! Meet Friday?

Ethan: Sounds good. Need me to bring anything?

Mark cringed, remembering what video they had agreed upon as their post-quarantine debut. 

Mark: Nope, just you and your piss.

Ethan: Oh gross, I totally forgot. See you then. 

Mark wrapped up his video, a new sense of vigor coursing through his veins, then called down to let Amy in on the news. She was just as excited as he was. 

Friday arrived with surprising speed. Mark was busy with work, and knowing that his friend would be coming over made everything easier to get through. Friday morning, Ethan was due to arrive around nine. Mark didn’t realize he was a little nervous until eight-thirty. Around that time, Mark had already set up everything they needed for the video. Amy sat on the couch while he bustled around the kitchen, picking things up, absentmindedly moving them, and fidgeting restlessly. 

Around nine, he sat down next to Amy. She looked at him with a hint of a smile. 

“Are ya nervous?” 

Mark chuckled, “Why would I be, it’s just Ethan.”

Amy laughed. “It’s like you’re going on your first date or something.”

Mark couldn’t help but laugh along with her, grateful to Amy for providing a light mood. 

Truth be told, he was nervous, and it was annoying him. 

The sound of the doorbell pierced through the silence. Mark jumped up from the couch and walked to the door, not sure why he was going so slowly. 

When he opened the door, Ethan was standing awkwardly, a bag dangling from one hand. 

“Hey man,” Ethan said in a chipper voice as Mark stepped aside to let him in. 

“Hey,” Mark said, smiling widely. 

“Hey Ethan,” added Amy, who was lingering by the stairs with a bright expression lighting up her features. 

Mark hadn’t planned on hugging Ethan. He hadn't even thought he wanted to until he actually saw his friend. It had been so long since they’d seen each other in person. Ethan looked alright, though a little worse for wear. He seemed tired, and a little rough around the edges, but quarantine had done that to all of them. 

Ethan put his bag down by the door, slipping his sneakers off. When he turned to ask a question that would soon be forgotten, he found himself enveloped by Mark's large frame. 

“Woah, hey,” Ethan said, surprised. 

But he hugged back, wrapping his arms tightly around Mark’s wide shoulders, leaning into him. 

It didn’t last long -- it was over in a few seconds -- but it was enough. 

Mark looked better, and so did Ethan -- and they both felt better. The younger man couldn’t stop grinning, his smile widening even further when Amy stepped up to embrace him too. Mark’s eyes were bright, and a smile was teasing the corners of his mouth. 

They both felt so unbelievably fantastic, being in the same room together -- being able to feel each other’s presence. 

Any hint of awkwardness that Mark had previously felt about physical contact seemed to have died during his isolation, and now that Ethan was here and the three of them were reunited, Mark felt light and radiant. 

And then they filmed pee sauna, and the radiant part definitely bit the dust. But being with Ethan -- being together again, and being able to do the thing that they loved (even if that thing had resulted in them marinating in their own piss) felt so good, and so right. 

They filmed their videos for the day, and when the time came around to wrap things up, each of them felt a sort of sinking in their chests. Ethan didn’t want to go home, and both Mark and Amy didn’t want him to. 

They finished the outro for the final video, and then set about putting away the equipment. They worked in silence, each of them thinking. Mark looked at Amy and, seemingly knowing what he was thinking, she nodded her head. 

“Hey, uh, we were thinking about ordering a pizza. You wanna stay for dinner? Maybe we could watch a movie afterwards or something…” Mark trailed off, letting the question hang. He didn’t want to press too much, in the case that Ethan was tired and just wanted to go home. It was getting late, after all, and it had been a long day. 

“Really? Yeah -- I mean, if you guys don’t mind, or anything--”

Ethan was quickly cut off by both Mark and Amy shaking their heads. 

“Nope -- we’d love if you stayed,” Amy said. 

“Cool,” Ethan said, a wide smile brightening his face. 

And the world finally felt right again.


End file.
